The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has debunked the rumours that the latest barring of SIMs by network operators was an attempt to frustrate the planned protest billed to start August 1.
The ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, stated this in an interview with the News men on Sunday night, noting that it was just coincidental that the barring of lines by telecommunications companies was coming at a time some Nigerians were preparing for a protest.
Over the weekend, many subscribers have had their lines barred by their telcos, even after doing the NIN-SIM linkage.
This came as some youth groups are planning a nationwide protest from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10, to demand solutions to the rising cost of living and economic hardship in the country.
The latest SIM-barring exercise is in line with the directive issued by the Nigerian Communications (NCC) in December last year, ordering telcos to fully bar lines whose linked National Identification Number (NIN) have not been verified by April 15, 2024. The deadline was later extended to July 31, 2024, which is two days away.
Reacting to the rumours spreading on social media that the telecom operators were trying to frustrate the planned protest through the barring of millions of mobile lines, Adebayo said:
The ALTON chairman explained that the barring of lines had to do with the NIN verification.
Adebayo said that its members were obliged to provide uninterrupted service to everybody on a non-discriminatory basis.
Also reacting to the issue, the National President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said that the barring of lines was not done to frustrate anybody or group.
